Lynn Dyer

The recent release of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians show on Disney Plus makes me want to listen to Riptide on repeat, start eating exclusively blue foods, and maybe go on an epic quest to save the world. While we definitely won’t be running into minotaurs or furies at any FFA events, our journey in FFA is not so different from Percy’s adventures. FFA is our Camp Half-Blood, and we as members are the demigods of agriculture and leadership. 

Whether it be a spring contest, an office you want to run for, or an SAE you want to start, think of your next project or event in FFA as a quest. There will undoubtedly be roadblocks— metaphorical monsters to face, riddles to solve, and mazes to navigate. Percy wouldn’t have been half the hero he is without the challenges he faced. Likewise, our FFA quests shape us into stronger problem-solvers and leaders.

Being a demigod is far from easy, and for Percy, it comes with high expectations from the Olympian gods, his fellow demigods, his closest friends, and even the monsters he faces. Those expectations cause him to struggle with self-doubt, fear of failure, and the constant pressure to live up to the heroic image others have of him. While this experience looks different for us, our lives are not free from expectations either. 

One of my favorite quotes from the Percy Jackson books is, “If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.” It will never be possible to please everyone. At the end of the day, it is up to us as individuals to push ourselves, know our limits, and make the choices that are right for us. We are the authors of our own story. There is no prophecy telling us what to do or who to be. Our story is waiting to be written, and it is up to us to make it a tale worthy of Camp Half-Blood.

Autumn nearly upon us means pumpkin spice lattes, Halloween, listening to Red (Taylor’s Version) on repeat, and changing leaves. 

Much like the leaves all around us, as my senior year started, I felt like everything was changing. Our school day was extended by 15 minutes, changing the entire bell schedule. We got a new high school principal and a new ag teacher. Class without the previous year’s seniors was not the same. On top of these changes, it was time to start making important decisions like where I wanted to go to college and what I wanted to do with my life. It all felt a little overwhelming.

As the school year began, I was reluctant to accept these changes. I missed the old schedule, and more importantly, my ag teacher, Ms. Taylor, who was now hours away. Things were different, and I did not want them to change.

Change can be tough. It is so easy to stick to what we know and are comfortable with, to never try anything new. Scary as it might be, without change, we would never grow. New experiences are often for the better. In just a few short weeks, my new ag teacher, Mrs. Chaney, has taught me a lot and brought countless new ideas to my school’s ag program that we otherwise would have missed out on. The new bell schedule I initially disliked has made it easier to get to class on time, and being without the past seniors has helped me branch out and make new friends.

To learn and grow, we have to be willing to adapt and keep an open mind to new people, ideas, and opportunities — all which might impact us for the better. Rather than fearing change, we should embrace it with the same enthusiasm as a child jumping into a pile of freshly raked leaves.